Andrea Dovizioso claimed his first top-level race victory during an incident-packed British MotoGP which saw motorcyling’s top riders struggle in the wet at Donington on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Italian came home 1.360 seconds ahead of American veteran Colin Edwards after championship leader Valentino Rossi and his Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo both slipped off the slippery circuit.
Pole-sitter Rossi came off his bike when leading with 11 of the 30 laps to go, but was able to keep it running and resume the race. The Italian dropped back to 11th place but stormed through the field to finish fifth and extend his lead to 25 points. CNN International
Dovizioso was ecstatic to have given the team a much-needed victory.
“I won on the wet here in 2007 in the 250cc class, so I knew the conditions well,” said the Italian.
“The emotion this tine is very different as it is in another class. The start of the season has not been easy so it gives me great pleasure to get this victory for the team,” added Dovizioso, who was crowned world 125cc champion in 2004.
Edwards for his part bemoaned the fact that having changed tyres, they took too long to warm up which could have made a difference to between breaking his MotoGp duck after over a hundred races.
“I am too old for this shit!” joked the 35-year-old.
“My tyres were too cold towards the end after I changed them (because it was raining). There was just not enough warmth in the tyres.”
De Puniet was over the moon to have got onto the podium. AFP
Marlboro Ducati rider and 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner also had a bad afternoon as his tyre gamble backfired to leave him in 14th place.
British rider James Toseland took his Tech 3 Yamaha to a sixth place finish as British fans said goodbye to Donington ahead of next year’s move to Silverstone. The Press Association
| 
|